(354) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
[Docket No. 2002-C-002]
Notice of Change in Publication Format
for the Official Gazette of the
United States Patent and Trademark Office - Patents
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the United States
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will discontinue the publication of
the paper version of the Official Gazette of the United States
Patent and Trademark Office - Patents. Electronic publication via
CD-ROM and Internet versions (the eOG:P) will replace the printed copy.
DATES: The last publication of the paper version will
be September 24, 2002. The electronic publication of the CD-ROM will
commence October 1, 2002.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background:
The USPTO has published the Official Gazette of the
United States Patent and Trademark Office - Patents since 1872 and
it has historically served as the official notification of patent
issuance. The Official Gazette - Patents is published weekly
in conjunction with the issuance of patents. Entries in the
Official Gazette - Patents contain patent bibliographic
information such as inventor name(s), assignee name (if applicable),
patent number, patent title, and classification. The entry also
contains a representative claim and drawing (if applicable). Each
weekly issue also includes an alphabetical index of patentees.
Explanation and Advantages of Change:
In view of the widespread access to computers and the Internet
and in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the USPTO
will discontinue the printed copy distribution of the Official
Gazette - Patents, effective October 1, 2002. Weekly electronic
publication via CD-ROM and Internet versions (the eOG:P)
will replace the paper. Beginning with the July 2, 2002, issue, the
eOG:P and printed copy will be published on a concurrent
basis until the paper version is discontinued.
The information provided by the electronic products will be
unchanged from the traditional printed copy. Users will continue to
browse patents by classification or patent type. However, the
advantages offered by an electronic format will enable easier access to
the information. Some of these advantages include: a cumulative
patentee and assignee index regardless of patent type, in addition to
the standard separate patentee indexes by patent type; direct links
from the patentee index entry to the image of the patent; the addition
of patentees by country to the geographical index by state; direct
links to the patents by state or country; direct links to the patent
from classification; and the addition of plant patent images. The
electronic information can be easily printed or saved for future use.
The eOG:P on CD-ROM will be published and
distributed close to issue date. The CD-ROM product will be available
from the Information Products Division, Chief Information Officer,
United States Patent and Trademark Office, as an annual subscription

for $300 per year and as single copies for $15 per issue.
The eOG:P will also be available on the USPTO web
site at www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/ each Tuesday, beginning July
2, 2002.
The USPTO will continue paper publication of the Official
Gazette - Trademarks, the Official Gazette Notices and
the Consolidated Listing of Official Gazette Notices.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information Products Division at
703-306-2600.
July 16, 2002 JAMES E. ROGAN
Under Secretary of Commerce for
Intellectual Property and Director of the
United States Patent and Trademark Office
[1261 OG 104]